Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Consultant
I am the mother of three older boys, ages 10, 13, and 15; they are the reason I chose doula work as a career path. Being able to appreciate first hand the importance of support during birth and the postpartum period really influenced my life’s work. I have been working with women and families for over 13 years as a breastfeeding consultant. In my 8+ years as a birth doula, I have had the privilege of accompanying hundreds of families along their birth journey. In 2003, I made the decision to expand my services to include support of the postpartum family. It is work I am deeply passionate about.
As a birth doula, I believe in the power of birth. That power extends to honoring the decisions that all women and families must make for their labors and births. Whether a family wants a natural birth, a birth with an epidural, or if they want to schedule a cesarean, I am proud to support them fully in the choices they make. It is their birth experience, and I am grateful that they are sharing it with me. Supporting VBAC births is something I love to do. I had a cesarean with my first child and then went on to have vaginal births. I utilize my years of experience, my knowledge of optimal labor positioning, labor massage, and positive coaching to guide families. My goal is to assist the family in working together confidently.
Through my years in assisting families in birth, I found that there is a serious need for respectful, dependable postpartum support. This is a critical time for new and growing families, and my goal is to assist them in making a smooth and confidant transition to accepting a new baby (or babies) into their lives. My focus is on postpartum nutrition and rest, infant-family bonding, and assisting families in making their day-to-day lives run smoothly. I also love to organize anything from the baby room to the family kitchen.
My hobbies are my work! I believe in mentorship, and often have a new doula who I am counseling. Information sharing and education are the backbone of my practice – I attend workshops and trainings regularly to keep abreast of new technologies and philosophies that circulate through the pregnancy and postpartum world.I am the co-owner of With Women, LLC, a business whose mission is to provide consistent, reliable birth and postpartum support to all families. I am very proud of the work we do, and believe that the support being shared with new families is doing its small part towards building a stronger community.
